Gestational diabetes mellitus-Part 2: treatment and follow-up

The basic treatment for gestational diabetes consists of self-measurement of capillary blood glucose, medical nutritional therapy, physical activity and control of weight gain. The needs of migrant women should be addressed. If the blood glucose values cannot be set in the target range using basic measures, an adjustment with insulin is carried out. Insulin is necessary in approximately 10-20% of the cases. Because of the increased maternal postpartum risk of developing type 2 diabetes, regular follow-up examinations using an oral glucose tolerance test are required once a year for women at risk. Measurements of blood pressure and blood lipids are added to the follow-up for early detection of cardiovascular risks.